Location-indicator.



J; HOFMANN.

LOCATION INDICATOR. APPLICATION FILED 10V. 14, 1907.

909,798. Patented Jan. 12, 1909.

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g g I J. HOPMANN.

LOCATION INDICATOR.

APPLIOATIOH FILED nov. 14, 1901.

909,798. I Patnted M12, 1969.

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IITHIII g. fosc f AQfrfndnn J. HOPMANN. LOCATION INDICATOR. APPLICATIONFILED 11017.14, 1907.

PatentedJan.12,l909.

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'llll/ lI/I/ J. HOPMANN. LOCATION INDICATOR. APPLIOATIOH man 1017.14,1901.

909,798. Patented Jan 12,1909.

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J. HOPMANN. LOCATION INDICATOR. APPLICATION FILED NOV.'14,'1907.

Patented J an. 12, 1909.

ATTORNEYS To all it may concern:

UNITED STATES omen JOSEF nomnn,'or ro'rsnm, ennmnv.

LOCATION-INDICATOR.

no. 909,788, g

Be it known that I, Josnr HorMANn, a subect of the Emperor of Austria,residing at otsdam, Prussia, Germany, have invented a certain new anduseful Improvement in Location-Indicators, of which the following is aspecification.

The present invention relates to a location indicator with a tape to beactuated by the rotation of the-running wheels of the vehicle. In thelocation indicators hitherto known the movable tape is provided with amap or chartof the road, which is drawn at all points on a determinedscale. These location indicators have the disadvantage that the scalechosen to represent the road, should it be satisfactory for distancesoutside of towns or villages, is, as a rule, too small within. towns orvillages. If, on the other hand, the scale of the chart is so chosen,that it is sufficient for distances within towns and villages, it isgenerally too large for distances outside of towns and villages. orderto eliminate thisdefect, the road map on the tape is in accordance withthe present invention, divided into sections on a different scale,according whether it relates to distances within or outside of towns orvillages,

electric contacts being closed by the tape, as soon as a new sectionreaches the pointer indicating the then point of location, so that bythe shifting of a variable'driving 'gear, the s eed of the tape iscorrespondingly varied in .an automatic manner. So lon therefore, as asection of the map whic represents a distance outside of a town orvillage and is drawn on a smaller scale moves beneath the pointer, thetape is actuated at the comparatively low speed corresponding to thisscale. As soon, however, as the section of the map which represents adistance withina town or village and is drawn on a larger scale, comesbeneath the pointer-,the speed of the tape is increased in accordancewith the scale of the new tape by the shifting of the variable drivinear electrically roduced in consequence of the contact made y the tape.In a similar manner, the speedof the tape is correspondingly decreasedas soon as a section of map of the smaller scale comes under thepointer, and so forth.

The subject matter ofthe, invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawings, in

which Figure 1 is a plan view of a location ind-icator embodymg myinvention; Fig. 2 is a Specification of Letters Patent. Applicationfled. November 1, 1907; .Serial Ila. 408,081.

. Patented Jan. 12", 1909.

plan view with the cover removed; Fig. 3' is avertical longitudinalsection on the line A---B of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a vertical transversesection on the line C-D of Fig. 2 and drawn to a larger scale; Fig. 5 isa. longitudinal section on the line E-F Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a plan view,on a larger-scale of a ortion of the mechanism shown in Fig. 2; ig. 7 isa section on the line GH, Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a section on the line I-K,Fi 6; Fig. 9 is a of-the circuits; an Fig. 10 shows diagram a detail.Fig. 11 is a plan view of a modi- .fied form of the'contact-deviceflFig. 12 is a section on the line-L,M, Fig. 11.

In the wooden box 1, Fig. l,covered with a. sliding cover 2, providedwith glass plates and containing the different parts of e locationindicator, there is supported a driving shaft 3, Figs. 2and 5, by whichthe movement of the tape showing the map or road chart is roduced in amanner to be more thoroug y described hereafter. The diiv mg shaft 3 issupported at the one end on the point of a screw; bolt 4, Fig. 5, and atthe other end in a bearing 5. The end 6 of shaft 3 extends through thewall of box 1 and en- 1 gages. freely with the hollow in shaft 7, "whichhas its hearings in a small casing 8 attached to box 1. On the shaftextension 6 is provided a pin 9, which continually en+ gages in a lontudinal slot 10 in shaft 7. Thus when sha 7 rotates, shaft 3 iscarriedalong by the same. Between the inner end of shaft 7 and. a shoulderpiece 11 0f the shaft extension 6 is arranged a spring 12, which tendsto press shaft 7' outwardly.

Shaft 7 is provided with pins 13 opposite each other, which when thetape is at standstill are pressed by spring 12 against-the interior wallof casin 8. Shaft 7 is furthermore provided with an extension 14, whichhas a pin 15 and engages freely with a sleeve 17 arranged on theflexibleshaft 16. The flexible shaft 16 is connected ina suitable manner to oneof the runnin wheels of the motor-car, etc, to which the ocationindicator is attached, and is surrounded by a stationary protectingshell 18. The rotatable sleeve 17 has its bearings in a sleeve 19attached to casing 8 and connected with shell 18. Pin 15, when thelocation indi cator is not in operation, is disenga the slot 20 of therotary sleeve 17. order to cause this pin 15 to engage with slot-.20,

shaft 7 needonly be' turned by hand by of the button 2]; fixed to ltinsuch a i a similar wag, shaft 3 is disconnected frommanner that the pins13 come to lie the direction of corresponding slots 22, Fig. 4,

of ca 8. Then1 2shg f t 7ii,sp cult; 'wardl un m engagzs zrizh s l t 20,s 5 thatthe exible shaft 16 is coupled with the driving shaft 3 of thegearing of the location indicator. In.

the flexible ft' 16 by pressing shaft 7 inwardly by means of button 21,pins 13 be- 1 mg carried through the slots 22, Fig. 4, of

pivot 24,'F 4. This worm wheel 25. is

provided wit two sets of conical teeth 26 and 27 of a difierentdiameter, which together with a set of beveled tooth wheels 28 and 29represent variable driving gearln of the usual type. The beveled tooth weels 28 and 29 are d on a sleeve 30 which can be displaced in the usualmanner on a shaft 31 b means of a nut and spnng, so that it is orced toarticipate 1n the r otation of this shaft. Shaft 31 has its bearings onthe one hand in a block 32, Fig. 4, and on the other hand, in an angleiece 33, which also serves for the bearing 0 the upper end of pivot 24.The means for displacing the air of wheels 28, 29, in order toalternately ring the one or the other of these wheels to engage with thecorresponding set of teeth 26 or 27, are described more fully below.

To shaft 31 is fixed a beveled tooth wheel 34, which gears with'abeveled tooth wheel 36 on shaft 35. Shaft 35 carries a worm 37, Fig. 4,which gears with a worm wheel 39, Fig. 2, connected with a feedingroller 38, Figs. 2, 3 and 4. The feed roller 38 serves for the movementof. the tape 40, 1 and 3, which bears the ma or road c rt and which inthe example own, runs from the unwindin roller 41, Fig. 3, between thefeeder rofier 38 and a spring ressed roller 42 below a pointer of wireor t read 43, Fig. 1, and showing the respective point of location ofthe motor car in the map over a contact roller 44, to be more fullydescribed below, to a winding roller 46 operated by a clockwork 45, Fig.2.

' From the above it is clear that, as soon as, following the movement ofthe motor car,

etc., the coupling shaft 7 is in the engaged position, the feeder roller38, Fig. 3, will rotate at a higher orlower speed accordi as the varia'be driving gear 26-29, Fig. is set so that the ta 40 is moved along belowth inter 43,?ig. 1, at a correspondspee by the clockwork 45, Fig. 2.

a 40 1s rovided with a'ma or a tolpom ical ou e of the road to trave ed.road map is not, however, drawn all overon the same scale, as in thelocation indicators hitherto known, but those sections scale, forexample, 1: 25000. road to be traversed is shown on tape 40 as a simpleline 47 for the purpom 'of clearness.

In this Fig. 1 there is directly beneath the pointer 43 a section 48,which represents a In Fig. 1 the part outside of atown or villa e, whilethere lies next to this section to section 49, Fig. 1, hatched at theedge and representing a part within a town-or village, the roadrepresentation of which is drawn on a larger scale than that of section48. To section 49 there is ain contiguous to the left a section 50,which represents a part outside of a town or village and the road ofwhich'is drawn on the same scale as that of section 48.

The sections of tape 40 drawn on a different scale must be moved at adifferent s elefta beneath the pointer 43, Fig. 1, the sections on thelarger scale, as for example section 49, having to be moved at a corresondinfily higher speed than the sections on t e sma scale, as forexamples sections 48 and 50.

The movement-of ta e 40 at the required higher or lower speedls producedby acorresponding displacement of the variable driving gear 26-29, Figs.2 and 5, this displacement being produced by tape 40 by electric means,as described hereafter. 1 Tape 40 runs, as previously described, ove acontact roller 44, Fig. 3. This 'contact roller 44 is rotatable on ametallic shaft51, Fig. 6, from whichconductors 52, 53, Fi 9, lead to theterminal connected with a hat tery. 7 Against contact roller 44 arepressed the contact rollers 57, 58, Figs. 6 and 7, which however, areordinarily kept out of contact with roller 44 by the tape 40 runningbetween these rollers 57 and 58 and roller 44,

in the wooden 'box 1 and is provided with a ribbed button 68. Shaft 65further has an enlargement 69, on which bears a friction contact 70.This friction contact, the purpose of which is to be explained below, isattached to a strip 71 of wood or other insulatin material, and alsoserves to limit the rotation of shaft 65. For this purpose the frictioncontact is provided with a point 72,

tact rollers 57,- 58, are lightly pressed against tape 40 by the springs63, 64. In order to put rollers 57, 58 out of contact with tape 40, itis merely necessary to turn shaft 65 in the direction of the arrow bybutton 68, Figs. 6

and 8, until point 72 of the friction contact enters notch 74.

On the insulating strip 71, Fig. 6, there are arranged besides thefriction-contact 70, also the friction contacts 75, 76, which bear onthe sleeves 61 and 62. Friction contact 75 is connected by a conductor77, Fig. 9, with the one end of the winding of an electromagnet 78,Figs. 2, 4; and 5, the other end of which is connected by a conductor79, Fig. 9, with the binding post 56. The friction contact 76 isconnected by a conductor 80 with the one end of the winding of theelectromagnet 81, Figs. 2, t and 5, which lies opposite to theelectromagnet 7 8. The other end of this winding is connected with thebinding post 56 by conductors 82, 83 and 84:.

Between'the electromagnets 78, 81, is arranged an armature 85, Fig. 5,which can be attracted alternately by the one or the other of theseelectromagnets. Armature 85 is attached to arm 86 of a three-armed lever88 pivoting about 87. Arm 89 of this threearmed lever engages with itsforked end in a groove 90 located between the above described set ofWheels 28, 29. As soon therefore, as armature '85 is attracted by theelectroma-gnet 81 the beveled wheel 28 is disengaged from the teeth 26and the beveled wheel 29 is put into engagement with the teeth 27, whilewhen the armature 85 is attracted by the electromagnet 78 the variabledriving gear 2629 is set for the different s eed.

In order that the one in charge of the motor car may at any moment beable to see whether the adjustable driving gear 26-29, Fig. 5, is setfor high or for low speed, that is, whether the wheel 29 or the wheel 28is in engagement, there is fixed to armature 85 an arm 91', which isconnected by a rod 92 with a signal plate 94 movable in box 93. Thissignal plate 94 is provided with a blue field 95 and a red field 96. Ifthe beveled wheel 28 is in enga ement, then the blue field 95 is visiblein the openin 97, Fig. 1, of the box, while if the bevele wheel 29 is inengag'ement, the redfield 96 becomes visible in opening '97. I

In the location indicator shown there is also provided a safety device,in order to prevent the set of wheels 28, 29 from being movedaccidentally, by the shocks caused by the running of the motor car, fromthe one "or the other end position, into which it was brought by the one"or the other electromagiiets 78 or 81, when the respective eleet'ro-'direction of the arrow.

magnets becomes currentless.v For this purpose the electromagnets 7 8,81 have, besides the. common armature 85 lying between them, specialarmat-ures 98 and 99, Fig. 5, which are arranged outside of the box 1.Armature 98, belonging to the electromagnet 78, is attachedto acne-armedlever 101' pivotally arranged at 100, while armature 99 belonging to theelectromagnet 81, is fixed to a two-armed lever 103 which turns about,

.102. Both levers 101, 103, are positively connected with each other bya rod 104. To lever 103 is furthermore pivotally attached a pin 105,which'is guided in the wall 1 and furthermore in a fixed arm 106, Fig.5. A spring 107 arranged on pin 105 which acts on washer 108 fixed tothis pin, strives to press the latter inwardly. Pin 105 ordinarily holdsan arm 109 of the above-mentioned three-armed lever 88 in a lockedposition in that its knife-shaped end bears either on the left or on theright side of a nosepiece 110 of arm 109. As sozm as, for the purpose ofchanging about the driving gear -26-29, one of the electromagnets 78, 81is excited, arm 109 is released. If, for example, in the position of theparts as in Fig. 5, electromagnet ,81 is excited, it first attracts itsarmature 99. In consequence of this, pin 105 is pulled back, and onlythen can the electromagnet 81 attract the central armature 85, so thatthe driving gear 2629 can be changed about, that is, the beveled toothwheel 29 brought into engagement with the teeth 27. So long aselectromagnet 81 is excited, the beveled wheel 29 is held by thisclectromagnet itself in engagement with the teeth 27; As soon, however,as the excitation of electromagnet 81 ceases, the armature 99 'thebeveled wheel 28 is kept in the engaged position by the pin 105.

The excitation of the elect-romagnets"? 8, 81, is elfected automaticallyby tape 40, Fig. l, as'so'on as a new section of the map or road chartdrawn on a difierent scale comes beneath the location pointer 43. In theposition of Fig. 1, there is beneath the pointer 43 the section 48,representing a distance outside of a town or village and drawn on asmaller scale, of the tape 40 moving in the In this case the bevelecltooth Wheel 28 engages with teeth 26, so that the tape 40 is actuated.at low speed. As soon as, with the continued movement of tape 40, theforward end of the part 49, which in Fig. 1 is the right end, movesbeneath the pointer 43, a perforation 1111 provided in tape 40 comesbeneath the contact roller 58, so that the same comes into contact withcontact roller 44, from which it had previously been held by the tape40. In consequence of this the followrng circuit is made: from thebattery 54, Fig. 9, throughthe binding post 55, lines 53 and 52, shaft51,

, contact roller 44, contact roller 58, arm 60,

sleeve 62, friction-contact 76, line 80, electromagnet 81 and lines 82,83, 84 back' to the binding post 56 and the battery 54. Electro-.

roller and roller 44 is broken, so that the electromagnet 81 becomescurrentless. The beveled wheel 29 is, however, as previously explained,now held in engagement with teeth 27, in that pin 105, Fig. 5, which nowlowed by one on the smaller scale, the changes of the variable drivinggear 26-29 lies to the right side, in Fig. 5, of the noseiece 110, holdsarm 109 of the three-armed ever 88 serving to change about the variabledrivin'g gear, in a locked position.

As soon as section 49, shown on a larger scale, of tape 40 has movedaway beneath pointer 43 and section 50, which again rep resents adistance outside of a town or village and similarly to section 48 isdrawn on a smaller scale, comes beneath the pointer 43, the variabledriving, gear 26-29, Fig. 5, is again changed by means of theperforation 112, Fig. 1, in tape 40, which comes under the contactroller 57. Through this perforation the contact roller 57 touchescontact roller 44, Fig. 6, and the following circuit is made: from thebattery 54, Fig. 9, and the binding post 55, through line 53, line 52,shaft 51, contact roller 44, contact roller 57, arm 59, sleeve 61,friction contact 75, line 77, electromagnet 78, line 79, bindingpost-56, and back to battery 54. In consequence of this, theelectromagnet 78 is excited, so that it attracts the armatures 85 and 98and therefore again bringsthe beveled tooth wheel 28 of the adjustabledriving gear into engagement with the teeth 26 of smaller diameter. Inthis manner the tape 40 is again actuated at a low speed. In the samemanner, on the recurrence of a. section of the tape drawn on the largerscale, folis caused by perforations corresponding to the perforationslll and 112, which as just described, establish the circuitbetween the cont act rollers 57 or 58 and the contact roller 44. Thetransmission relation of the wheels of the variable driving gear and ofthe other wheels serving in the transmission of the movement to tape 40is naturally so chosen that without regard to the questlon whether asection on the scale of 48' or 50 is actuated at a lower speed, or asection on the larger scale, such as section 49, at a higher speed, thespeed of tape 40, takin into consideration the scale of the sectionbeneath the pointer 43, always corresponds to the speed of the motor caror other similar vehic e.

In the location indicator shown there is also provided an arrangementwhich ives the one in control an acoustic signa as soon as a section onthe larger scale of tape 49 approaches the pointer 43, that is, as soonas the motor car has approached to within a short distance of a town orvillage, say about 1 kilometer. The advantage of this arrangement isfound in the fact that the chauffeur is warned by this acoustic signal,that the speed of the motor car should be decreased as a town or villageis being approached and that special care should be given the road. Thesaid acoustic signal is given by an electric bell 113, Figs. 2 and 9,

arranged in the box 1, and which is connected on the one hand by line114, Fig. 9, to line 84 and binding post 56, and on the other hand, byline 115 to the friction con tact 70. This friction contact bears, asabove stated, on an enlargement 69 of shaft 65 having its bearings inbox 1 and insulated from sleeves 61, 62 and arms 59, 60. To the middlepart of shaft 65 is fixed a contact spring 116, Fig. 6, which isordinaril ke t out of contact with contact roller 44 by t e tape 40 andcan be removed from the ta 40 similarly to the contact rollers 57 58, yturning button 68. I As soon now, for example, as the right side ofsection 49, Fig. 1,

the latter comes into contact with the contact roller 44 and thefollowin circuit is made: from battery 54, Fig. 9, t rough the bindingpost 55, line 53, 52, shaft 51, contact roller 44, contact spring116,'shaft 65, friction contact 70, line 115, bell 113, lines 114 and84, binding post 56 and back to battery 54. In consequence of this, bell113 is caused to sound, thus announcing to the one in charge of themotor car the approach to the town or village indicated on section 49,Fig. 1.

Bell 133 may also serve to call the timely attention of the one at thewheel to dangerous points of the road, such ,as sharp curves,railroad-crossin s, etc. For this purpose every such pointoftheroadichart, a perforation 118, Fig. 1, WhlCh similarly to the,there is provide in tape 40, shortly before.

perforations 116 makes the circuit between the contact spring 116 andthe circuit making roller 44, so that the bell is caused to ingmaterial, which make the contacts. In

this case the conductor 53 is not connected with the shaft 51 of theroller 44 but the latter serves only as a guide for the tape 40 and thesaid conductor 53 is connected with shaft 125 (Figs. 11 and 12) mountedin the casing 1. On this shaft 125 arms 59 and 60 are journaled carryingcontact rollers 57 and 58' which are pressed against the tape by springs63 and 64. On shaft 125 is also fixed a contact spring 116 in con-' tactwith the tape. The contact rollers 57 58 and the contact spring 116'cotiperate with the contact rollers 57, 58 and the con tact spring 116in such a manner that if pieces 126 of tinfoil fixed to the upper sideof the tape come in contact with the said contact elements, the circuitis closed in the same way as by the perforations 111, 112, 117,118.

In order to illuminate tape 40 when running at night, there is arrangedin box 1 an incandescent lamp 119, Figs. 2 and 9, which is connected bya conductor 120 with conductor 83 and by a conductor 121*,- into whichis intercalated a circuit closer 122, with conductor 53. In this mannerthe lamp, when closing the circuit closer 122,-

is provded with current by battery 54 and therefore lighted up. In orderto uniformly light up the tape, there is arranged between the lamp 119and the tape 4.0 a trans parent plate 123, Fig. 3, which may consist ofa sheet of parchment stretched into a metallic frame. This plate 123 canslide in horizontal guides 124:, Fig. 2, in box 1, so that it can beconveniently removed from the side of box 1, in order that the partslocated beneath the same in box 1 can be reached.

I claim as my invention 1. A location indicator for automobiles and thelike, comprising a movin tape road map having different sectionsindicated thereonin different scales, means adapted to be connected Witha moving part of the vehicle for bringing successive portions of saidmap into the field of vision and means for varying the speed at whichthe tape is moved on a variation of the scale of the portion of the mapwithin the field of vision.

2. A location indicator for automobiles and the like, comprising amoving tape road map having different sections indicated thereonindifferent scales, means adapted to be connected with a moving part ofthe vehicle for bringingsuccessive portions of said map into the fieldof vision and means for automatically varying the speed at which thetape is moved on avariation of the scale of the portion of the mapwithin the field of vision.

3. A location indicator for automobiles and the like, comprising amoving tape road map having different sections indicated thereon indifierent scales, a variable speed driving gear adapted to be operatedfrom a moving part of the vehicle for moving said map across the fieldof vision at speeds varying with the scales of the sections thereof, andelectromagnetic means automatically'controlled by said tape foreffecting the changes of speed in said driving 4. A location indicatorfor, automobiles and the like, comprising a movin tape road map havingdifferent sections in icated thereon in different scales, at variable seed driving gear adapted to be operated om a moving part of the vehiclefor movin said map across thefield of vision at spee s ally locking saidspeed changing mechan.-.

ism in the different gear positions.

5. A location indicator for automobiles and the like, comprising amoving tape road map having different sections indicated thereon indifferent scales, a variable speed driving gear adapted to be operatedfrom a moving part of the vehicle for moving said map across the fieldof vision at speeds varying with the scales of the sections thereof, andelectromagnetic means automatically controlled by said tape foreffecting the changes of speed in said driving gear, in combination withmeans for indicating the'change of gear.

6. A location indicator for automobiles and the like, comprising amoving ta e road map having diflerent sections in icated thereon indifferent scales, means adapted to be connected with'a moving partically controlled by the map for sounding an electric alarm, .andmanually operated means for preventing the completion of the electricalarm circuit.

7. A location indicator for automobiles andthe like, comprising a movingtagle portion of the map within the field of road map having difierentsections in vision.

cated thereon in different scales, means In testimony whereof I havesigned my adapted to be detachably connected with a name to thisspecification, in the presence of V 5 moving part of the vehicle forbringing two subscribing witnesses.

successive rtions of said map into the .field of vis i n at speedsvaryin with the JOSEF HOFMANN- scalesof the sections thereof an meansfor Witnesses: varying the speed at which the tape is BENJ. C. Frrcn,

10 moved on a variation of the scale of the 7 One. SWINNEY.

